Within a wireless data service network, information is shared between a fixed server and at least one mobile communications device. Within certain networks, the mobile communications device may host two or more applications requiring access to the same body of data, at least a portion of which is stored on the fixed server.
The present disclosure relates to a method for sharing address data among multiple applications on a mobile communications device comprising receiving, at the mobile communication device, a query from a query source; determining that no record in a local common database disposed on the mobile communications device meets the conditions of the received query, the local common database being accessible to at least one application disposed on the mobile communications device; querying, via a network, a remote address database disposed on a remote server, for at least one remote matching record meeting conditions of the received query; receiving via the network the at least one remote matching record; and updating the local common database to incorporate the at least one remote matching record.
Another embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a mobile communication device comprising a local common address database object accessible to at least one application; a communication subsystem for communicating with a network; and a database querying logic module. The database querying logic module, in conjunction with the at least one application, is operable to receive a query relating to an address record; determine that no record in a local common database disposed on the mobile communications device meets the conditions of the received query; query, via the network, a remote database for at least one remote matching record meeting the conditions of the received query; receive, via the network, the at least one remote matching record; and update the local common address database object to incorporate the at least one remote matching record.
Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure may relate to a mobile communications device incorporating a first data storage space, or database, and at least two querying means. At least one querying means is operable to query the first data storage space as to the existence of a data record matching the query within the first data storage space. At least one additional querying means is operable to query a second data storage space outside of the mobile communications device as to the existence of a data record matching the query within the second data storage space if the data record is not found within the first data storage space. The query of the second data storage space is conducted over a wireless data service network. In one embodiment, the two querying means may be integrated into a single logic structure operable in the software environment of the mobile communications device.
The mobile communications device incorporates a structure for copying a queried data record from the second data storage space to the first data storage space whenever the queried data record is located within the second data storage space but not located within the first data storage space. Additionally, the mobile communications device incorporates a structure for communicating the contents of the first data storage space to at least two applications resident on the mobile communications device, which may include a contacts application and an email application, as examples.
The wireless data service network may include a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, an Enhanced Data Rates for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Evolution (EDGE) network, a 3rd Generation (3G) network, an Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (IDEN), a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network or a combination of the above. The second set of data may be disposed in a server operably connected to the internet. In certain embodiments, the data in the first data storage space and the second data storage space comprise address data. Depending on the specific application, the querying operations may be conducted by a portion of the operating system, by a separate application or by a portion of a virtual operating system operating on the mobile communications device.
The present disclosure discloses a method for sharing data among multiple applications within a mobile communications device incorporating a number of steps relating to the searching and movement of data among multiple data storage spaces. The steps of the method disclosed include querying a first data storage space regarding the existence of a queried data record within the first data storage space and querying a second data storage space disposed outside of the mobile communications device through a wireless data service network whenever the first data storage space does not contain the queried data record. Where the queried data record is located within the second data storage space but not located within the first data storage space, a queried data record is copied from the second data storage space to the first data storage space. At least a portion of the queried data record may be communicated to one or more applications within the mobile communications device via a common database.